New legislation would restrict federal funding for universities operating in hostile nations or accepting foreign money tied to sensitive research projects.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced two bills aimed at limiting foreign influence in American higher education institutions, arguing that hostile governments have gained access to sensitive research and promoted anti-American ideology through financial relationships with U.S. universities.
Sen. Rick Scott joined Reps. Elise Stefanik and Josh Gottheimer in unveiling the legislation, according to a statement released Wednesday.
The proposals focus on foreign involvement from countries including China and Qatar, which lawmakers said have provided substantial funding to major American universities while obtaining access to research tied to national security and influencing campus environments.
One proposal, titled the “Defending American Research Act,” would require universities seeking federal research grants to certify that they do not operate branch campuses in countries designated as adversarial or high risk.
The second measure, called the “No Branch Campuses in Hostile Countries Act,” would prohibit universities from receiving federal research and development funding for five years if they accept money from certain foreign governments connected to research involving sensitive fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing.
Scott said the legislation is intended to prevent foreign adversaries from using American universities to gain strategic advantages.
“America has enemies, and we need to start acting like it,” Scott said. “Countries like Communist China and terror-supporting Qatar should not be able to use America’s colleges and universities as outposts to spy on us, steal sensitive research, and spread anti-American propaganda, but we’ve been letting them do it for years.”
Stefanik said foreign governments have used financial partnerships with universities to influence campus culture and obtain access to important research.
“Hostile foreign nations like China and Qatar have funneled millions of dollars to some of America’s most prestigious universities,” Stefanik said. “This funding has allowed these nations to promote harmful anti-American ideologies on college campuses and gain access to sensitive research with national security applications.”
She added that the legislation would block taxpayer funding from flowing to universities that continue operating campuses in hostile nations or conducting sensitive research partnerships tied to foreign governments.
Gottheimer said the bills send a message that universities cannot simultaneously benefit from American taxpayer funding while maintaining financial relationships linked to hostile foreign regimes.
“We know adversaries like the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] are exploiting our universities to access cutting-edge research and push their anti-American agendas,” Gottheimer said. “If you’re taking money tied to hostile nations, you shouldn’t be getting U.S. taxpayer dollars, full stop.”
The legislation follows recent Education Department disclosures showing American colleges and universities reported receiving more than $5.2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts during 2025 through more than 8,300 separate transactions.
Those disclosures were filed under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which requires institutions receiving federal funding to report foreign gifts and contracts exceeding $250,000 annually.
According to the department’s figures, Qatar ranked as the largest reported foreign funding source in 2025 with more than $1.1 billion in disclosed contributions. The United Kingdom followed with more than $633 million, while China accounted for approximately $528 million and Switzerland reported about $451 million.
Japan, Germany, and Saudi Arabia also ranked among the largest foreign contributors to American colleges and universities during the reporting period.
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